Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

Empress Dowager Zhou was squinting her eyes and slowly scanning the officials present under the bright sunshine.

She was filled with rage, and this time she wanted to teach the official who first proposed such a rebellious suggestion a lesson, and even to achieve the effect of killing a chicken to scare the monkey.

Anyone with a little common sense knew what moving to Nangong meant, not to mention that every official here was a well-educated person, and this advocate clearly wanted to imprison herself in Nangong and die alone.

She initially suspected that it was Yin Tai or Wang Yue who made such a suggestion. After all, the person who made such a suggestion needed courage and sufficient political wisdom.

Even she had to admit that once she was really arranged to live in Nangong, the emperor would be able to rest assured and no longer worry about the threat she faced.

Empress Dowager Zhou found that it was not the work of these two important officials, and then she scanned the Minister of Works Chen Kun and other ministers, and found nothing unusual. Instead, she felt that the eyes of these officials seemed very strange.

Now that she had made it clear that she was going to settle accounts with the instigator, the instigator and his relatives and friends would be somewhat panicked, but it was so quiet here that she had a bad feeling in her heart.

Wang Yue, the chief minister of the Military Affairs Council, sighed and stood up to answer: "Report to the Grand Empress Dowager, this person cannot be killed, and it is also... cannot be killed!"

"Why?" The Grand Empress Dowager Zhou realized that this person was very powerful, but asked back in a way that was just what she wanted.

In today's world, even the Hongzhi Emperor, who is above millions of people, is her grandson. Who else in the world can surpass her in status?

Yin Zhi, the chief minister of the Cabinet, looked at the Grand Empress Dowager with complicated eyes, and gave a direct answer: "Report to the Grand Empress Dowager, this person is none other than Jia Jun, the former Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. He first proposed this plan in his memorial last year!"

Somewhere, it seemed that there was a pair of eyes watching all this, and today's sunlight seemed particularly dazzling.

The reason why Wang Yue said "cannot be killed" just now was not because this person had a high status, but because Jia Jun was already dead. Even if the Empress Dowager wanted to kill a dead person, she could not.

As early as last year on a snowy night, Jia Jun knew that he was dying after his condition worsened, and he also forced himself to leave the last will to the emperor.

Since ancient times, it has been difficult to be both loyal and righteous, but Jia Jun has done it.

He obeyed the Empress Dowager's order and entered the palace despite the world's disapproval. He was righteous and did not hesitate to lose his life to drink seafood soup. He never forgot the favor of the support from the beginning to the end.

But he was an important official of the Ming Dynasty after all, and a loyal official who always wanted to repay the emperor's kindness, so before he died, he decided to break the situation for the emperor.

The identity of Empress Dowager Zhou was there, so Emperor Hongzhi was at a natural disadvantage in this struggle, and even if he won, it would be a defeat.

Killing, this is impossible to kill, there is no precedent in the world for the emperor to kill the grandmother. This move not only made Emperor Hongzhi infamous for eternity, but also caused the Ming Dynasty, which was thriving, to become disunited.

It was impossible to stay. The existence of Grand Empress Dowager Zhou in the Forbidden City was always a variable. The average life expectancy of the emperor had already explained many problems. Maybe the Grand Empress Dowager would take the opportunity to send another fire to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Jia Jun knew that the best way was to follow the example of Emperor Jingtai of the year. He did not leave the retired emperor in the Forbidden City, but imprisoned the retired emperor Yingzong in the Southern Palace.

Imprisonment could not be put on the table directly.

The benefits of the Southern Palace were revealed. It could not threaten the emperor in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and it was a residence that could match the status of the Grand Empress Dowager, and it was under the emperor's nose.

If the Grand Empress Dowager was imprisoned in the Southern Palace, it would be difficult for her to do anything harmful to the emperor, but people could not find any big problems.

This genius proposal became the best solution for the emperor to break the deadlock.

It is worth mentioning that after the contents of the will were announced, officials led by Yin Zhi and Wang Yue successively submitted memorials to support Jia Jun's proposal to move the Empress Dowager to the Nan Palace.

That's right, the proposal to arrange the Empress Dowager to the Nan Palace was proposed by Jia Jun when he was dying, and then it was supported by all the civil and military officials in the court.

The fate of the Empress Dowager Zhou had already been arranged at the end of last year, and her fate had long been controlled by the emperor, but the Empress Dowager Zhou was trapped in it without knowing it.

The Empress Dowager Zhou's action of burning Guan Sui Palace this time made the emperor no longer have to worry about any doubts, so he directly arranged for the Empress Dowager Zhou to live in the Nan Palace today.

"Jia Jun?"

The Empress Dowager Zhou opened her mouth slightly, with an incredible look on her face.

She had doubted all the officials present, but she never thought that it was the deceased Jia Jun who advocated it, the former cabinet minister she had once promoted.

It turns out that even though she had helped Jia Jun, Jia Jun's heart was still with the emperor, and he even stabbed himself before he died.

Wang Yue saw the shock of the Empress Dowager, and added: "Although Jia Jun was the first to propose this plan, all the civil and military officials think that this plan is feasible. As early as last year, all the civil and military officials in the court had submitted a petition to support it, but Your Majesty has not responded yet!" At the end, he suddenly knelt down. Although his behavior was still respectful, he felt happy in his heart: "Please ask the Empress Dowager to move to the Nangong!"

"Jia Jun, you are really... damn it!"

When the Empress Dowager Zhou learned the whole story, she gritted her teeth and cursed secretly.

She never expected that the dead Jia Jun would have such a trick up his sleeve, but he gave her such a fierce blow, and she was so angry that her nose was crooked.

She felt a little guilty last year because of Jia Jun's sudden death, but she didn't expect Jia Jun to give her such a fierce blow before his death.

Now this plan was initiated by Jia Jun, and all the civil and military officials in the court seconded it. Now that the emperor has officially approved it, there is no room for maneuver in this matter.

If she was really imprisoned in Nangong, then no matter how high her status was, she would be just a Guanyin statue far away from the world in the cage of Nangong.

The cabinet chief Yin Zhi and other officials had already made their choice, and they immediately knelt down to agree with Wang Yue: "Please ask the Empress Dowager to move to Nangong!"

Although they knew that this behavior was inappropriate, they did not retreat in their hearts just for the prosperity of the world and the safety of the wise emperor Hongzhi.

Only by inviting the Empress Dowager to live in Nangong and banishing the murderer who killed Jia Jun to Nangong, can the harem be truly peaceful, and the world will usher in a prosperous era.

"All the civil and military officials in the court are treacherous! I will not go to Nangong, I will live in Renshou Palace, you can't imprison me!" Empress Dowager Zhou hated the civil and military officials present at this moment, but suddenly said angrily.

But as soon as she finished speaking, the phoenix chariot started and was heading towards Nangong in front.

Liu Jin saw that the Empress Dowager wanted to say something, so he lowered his voice and kindly reminded: "Empress Dowager, please consider your face. This is the last wish of the deceased minister Jia Jun, and it is also the unanimous request of all the civil and military officials in the court. Do you think there is still room for maneuver?"

Not to mention, the Empress Dowager naturally has no reason to dislike a place where the emperor can live. Now it is not the emperor's intention alone, but the decision of all the civil and military officials in the court. The Empress Dowager's move into the Nan Palace is the common wish of everyone.

Empress Dowager Zhou was about to open her mouth, but she closed it silently, and then she angrily cursed: "The civil and military officials in the court are all treacherous and flattering ministers, and God wants to destroy our Ming Dynasty!"

"Many people said that your majesty was a tyrant and that the Ming Dynasty would perish sooner or later, but the fact is just the opposite!" Yin Zhi and Wang Yue and other important officials looked at each other and sighed bitterly.

In the early days of the Hongzhi Dynasty, officials headed by Ni Yue, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites at that time, believed that the emperor was a tyrant. As a result, under the governance of Emperor Hongzhi, the Ming Dynasty ushered in an unprecedented prosperity.

It was not that Emperor Hongzhi was cruel, but that he cared about the people and did not compromise with the powerful class.

Now the Empress Dowager thinks that they are treacherous and flattering ministers and claim that the Ming Dynasty will perish, but they think that the Ming Dynasty will become better, and they and the emperor will definitely create a more glorious Ming Dynasty.

"Farewell to the Empress Dowager!"

Officials such as Yin Zhi and Wang Yue looked at the Empress Dowager being carried by eight eunuchs, and their mouths could not help but slightly rise, and then they sent her off respectfully in a serious manner.

"You bunch of treacherous villains, just wait for me, I will settle accounts with you one day!" The Empress Dowager was carried away, but she still said harshly.

Officials such as Yin Zhi did not retreat because of this, but became more determined to press the Empress Dowager Zhou to death in Nangong, so that this old witch would never come out to harm people again.

Nangong, where Yingzong was once imprisoned.

Although the trees that were cut down in the courtyard have grown again, it still looks lifeless. The huge palace seems to be a haunted house full of stories.

This place has been cleaned up, and the furniture inside is complete. All the palace maids and eunuchs are arranged by the queen, and they are all new faces to the Empress Dowager Zhou.

If Empress Dowager Zhou wants to see anyone in the future, she needs the consent of the empress or the emperor. This time, she is already enjoying the treatment of the former emperor Yingzong.

Liu Jin personally arranged for Empress Dowager Zhou to stay here. Before leaving, he smiled and said, "Your Majesty asked me to bring you a message!"

"What message?"

"Ji died of poisoning!"

Empress Dowager Zhou's eyes widened, and a chill suddenly surged from her toes to her heart.

The door of the Nan Palace slowly closed, directly cutting off all connections with the outside world, and the Empress Dowager was about to officially withdraw from the political stage of the Ming Dynasty.

The sky was blue and high, with a few light clouds occasionally floating by. The March wind brought a hint of spring and a strong historical atmosphere, as if telling the story of ancient spring.

In the brilliant spring light, the golden glazed tiles of the palace sparkled brightly under the reflection of the morning sun, and the red bricks and stones on the city wall set off the royal dignity and majesty.

Xiyuan, Yangxin Palace.

Wisps of ambergris rose from the copper furnace, and the fragrance was filled with a solemn and solemn atmosphere, which also refreshed the people in it.

Zhu Youtang has been in office for thirteen years, and his imperial power has become stronger and stronger, and his eyes are deep and full of wisdom. At this moment, he sat upright in front of the desk, holding the imperial pen in his hand, and was concentrating on reviewing the memorials.

Now the whole Ming Dynasty is in harmony, and there is no large-scale unrest except for some inevitable natural disasters.

Because the Ming Dynasty implemented a policy of strengthening the army, if a large number of bandits really appeared in the local area to harm the people, the governors and governors of various provinces would immediately recruit troops to clear them out.

It was the governors and governors and local officials who dared to do things in the local area that nipped many dangers in the bud. Now it is impossible for the bandits who dared to attack cities and plunder land in Gannan to appear.

Of course, the Ming Dynasty could not have been completely free of any problems. At least the problems of the royal family were becoming increasingly acute, and some officials had already discovered the harm of the royal family.

Although the members of the royal family of the Ming Dynasty could not directly control the military power, their large number and special status made them a potential threat to the court's rule to some extent.

In addition to this potential threat of force, many knowledgeable people were more concerned about the financial burden caused by the royal family.

According to later statistics, at the end of the Jiajing period, the population of the royal family reached 28,840 people. Based on an average annual expenditure of 400 dan per person, the total amount exceeded 11.53 million dan, which brought huge financial pressure to the Ming court.

For example, Shanxi Province has 1.52 million dan of rice and wheat per year, but the royal family needs 3.12 million dan of rice. Henan Province has 840,000 dan of rice and wheat, but the royal family needs 1.92 million dan of rice.

Zhu Youtang actually always felt that the problems of the royal family were exaggerated. After all, a certain beautiful country owed a lot of silver to countries around the world, but can you really get it back?

The power of the royal family is just above the common people, but it cannot be compared with the imperial power, and naturally it cannot compete with the huge civil service group, so at the end of Jiajing, there were even royal family members who were starved to death.

Zhu Youtang knew that the current court finances did not have much pressure to support the royal family, but he always believed that development was the hard truth, so he hoped to lead the royal family to the chariot of economic development: "The Ministry of Rites ordered that first the Ning Wang started things in Jiangxi, and then the Chong Wang controlled the palace fire from afar, the royal family must be guarded! The less powerful people can be easily used with righteousness, and the small country will be eliminated from evil intentions. The "New Regulations for the Royal Family" will reduce the salary and rice, and cut the royal family members. The three generations of the close relatives of the Taizong Zhengtong Emperor are not limited to the royal family members, and the number of people after four generations is limited. The highest cannot exceed 1,500 people, and the rest will be given gold to return to agriculture and commerce!"

Faced with the potential problem of royal family members, he planned to let the Ministry of Rites draft a "New Regulations for the Royal Family". The focus this time was not to reduce the salary and rice, but to reduce the number of royal family members, especially to set an upper limit on the number of people in each prince's mansion.

The drawbacks of the clan system did not exist at the beginning, but there was a process of gradual evolution. After all, there were only 25 princes at the beginning, and by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the number of clan members was claimed to be nearly one million.

Zhu Youtang planned to establish a white list to assess clan members who were already distant relatives, and those clan members who could only receive 400 stone of rice per year would be given certain financial compensation to support them to enter the business field, but they were not allowed to take the imperial examination.

In addition, the incident of the Empress Dowager finally had sequelae, and some discordant voices appeared one after another.

As the incident of the Empress Dowager Zhou fermented among the people, although many people were on his side, his reforms over the years had also offended a large number of old dignitaries, and naturally someone would take the opportunity to put the shit pot on himself.

For example, the Kong family in Shandong has been quite active recently, and even blatantly attacked their unfilial emperor.

The Kong family was suppressed by the court. In the past, it was hit by the court for falsely reporting disasters to defraud disaster relief funds. Not only did it lose money, but it also made the Kong family lose face.

Zhu Youtang did not put his pen on the memorial, but wrote a modern phrase in the blank space next to it: "Let the bullets fly for a while!" (End of this chapter)